Sorry, you guys; I’ve got nothing for you today (remember that Mrs. Chili takes Grammar Wednesday requests!!). I had to resort to my old standby material trick; I grabbed a style guide, set it upright on its spine, and let it fall open where it may. Today, I’m going to write a little bit about how to use the words good and better properly.

Good is an adjective. Adjectives modify nouns. Good should be used to describe the positive quality of SOMETHING – an actual thing, not an action or a behavior. For example; she is a good swimmer is correct. She swims good is not. If you’re describing the positive quality of a behavior or action, you need an adverb; well will do just nicely.

It’s gotten to be quite common to hear the answer to “how are you” as “I’m good, thanks.” While this is certainly clear – I don’t think anyone would be confused by the structure – it’s not, strictly speaking, correct. “How are you” is a question about your state of being, your condition. State of being is a verb and, as such, should be answered with an adverb.

I’m going to talk about better by clarifying the difference between then and than. Then is an adverb that generally modifies time. I was a lot younger then or let me finish this sentence, then I can help you move the couch. Than is a conjunction that is generally used to indicate a choice, an exception, or a preference. She is prettier than I am, but I have more friends than she does. Something is never better then something else – it is always better than something else. I like hot fudge better than I like butterscotch, for example, or she is a better swimmer than I am.

Finally, let’s look at some words that don’t have degrees. Something is never more better than anything else; it’s either better or it isn’t – there aren’t degrees of better. The same is true of unique, though I hear people use modifiers – fairly, very, most – with unique all the time. Perfect can be modified in the approach to perfection – he has a nearly perfect attendance record – but one can’t be extremely perfect.

8 responses to “Grammar Wednesday”

“good” has been an adverb since the 13th century. We use in constructions like “feel good, look good”, and “a good 50 years”.

Saying that you have to use “well” after “be” because “well” is an adverb is exactly the opposite argument some people make about “bad/badly”: you have to use “bad”, not “badly” after linking verbs, because “bad” is adjective.

“unique” has meant “unusal, rare” for over a hundred years and has been modified for over a hundred years. A similar extension has occurred with the word “singular”.